5. England 7-26 France – Paris Air Disaster Fund Raising Event
On the 3rd March 1974, Turkish Airlines Flight 981 was set to fly from Paris to London Heathrow on a standard procedure journey. However, tragedy struck when the aircraft crashed in the Ermenonville Forest, with the 346 people on board all sadly losing their lives. A group of the passengers were part of amateur rugby club Bury St. Edmunds RFC, who were travelling home from watching the Five Nations match between England and France.
The two national sides honourably set up a fundraising match, which was held at Twickenham Stadium on the 20th April 1974. France came away victorious on the day, yet the on-field action was certainly overshadowed by the tragic event. In 2016, Bury St. Edmunds RFC unveiled a memorial to commemorate the incident, which saw 18 club members pass away. Each year, the rugby club pays tribute to those players and remembers the England vs France fixture that helped raise money for the families of all those who were involved.
This match highlights the power that rugby has in bringing people together, and raising money for a valuable cause. The England and France rivalry was forgotten about, with differences put aside to help the families and friends of those lost in the accident. A truly moving match, which will long be remembered in the history of these two great rugby nations.
6. England 10 – 53 France: 2023 Six Nations
We close out our picks with the most recent fixture, in what has gone down as a historic defeat for England upon home soil. The fourth round match of last year’s Six Nations, saw France run riot on England, in what was an exhaustive afternoon for newly appointed head coach Steve Borthwick. The 43-point margin of defeat stands as England’s heaviest ever loss at Twickenham, and was an emphatic statement from Les Bleus.
France came out of the gate on fire, and were over to score through Thomas Ramos little after one minute had surpassed. A trio of braces then followed for Fabien Galthie’s side, as Charles Ollivon, Thibaud Flament and Damien Penaud all crossed over twice to build the seven-try scoreboard. Six successful conversions and two additional penalties, saw the metronomic kicking of Ramos extend the score-sheet far beyond anyone had ever seen from Twickenham visitors.
England’s sole reply came early in the first half, when Freddie Steward crossed over for a try and Marcus Smith added the extras. The inclusion of Smith was a testing matter, as Borthwick dropped Owen Farrell to the bench for this fixture. The captaincy was then bestowed to Ellis Genge, in what has since gone on to be the Bristol prop’s one and only time wearing the armband for his country.
The records continued to tumble, as France racked up their greatest amount of points against England, and beat the previous total of 37 points, which they set back in 1972. This match also set a new low for an England performance in the Six Nations, as it was the heaviest losing deficit in any contest, dating all the way through the Six, Five and Home Nations Championship.
A truly unforgettable low-point for England, in what was a turbulent start in the reign of Steve Borthwick. However, the former England lock has since turned his side around into a stronger outfit, and they are riding a wave of momentum into Lyon after racking up a stunning victory against Ireland. History is unlikely to repeat itself, due to France’s mixed-bag of form and England’s recent resurgence, as the two nations look to write the next chapter into their storied rivalry.